My ADHD Brain Has 37 Ideas Before BreakfasT: So Many Ideas and the Struggle to Focus on Just One
If you have ADHD, you probably already know where this is going.
If you don’t have ADHD, let me paint you a picture of what it’s like inside my brain on an average Tuesday morning.
I wake up.
I make coffee.
And somewhere between the first sip and remembering where I left my phone, my brain has already come up with approximately 37 brilliant new ideas.
Not just little thoughts.
I mean full-blown, life-changing, “this could be amazing” ideas.
Ideas that feel so exciting in the moment that I’m pretty sure I’ve just discovered my new calling in life.
And by lunchtime?
I’ve usually thought of at least twelve more.
The Creative Brain Blessing (and Slight Curse)
Having a creative ADHD brain is a little like owning a fireworks factory.
There are sparks everywhere.
Ideas explode out of nowhere.
Connections happen between things that have absolutely no business being connected.
One minute I’m thinking about writing a blog post.
The next minute I’m designing a journal, starting a lifestyle brand, and wondering if I should also start making clothing… because apparently that makes perfect sense now.
Not because clothing was part of the original plan.
But because my brain suddenly decided clothing feels very on brand.
If you know, you know.
The Idea Roller Coaster
Here’s how the cycle usually goes.
Step one: The Spark
An idea pops into my head.
Maybe it’s a blog topic.
Maybe it’s a design.
Maybe it’s a completely new project.
My brain lights up like a Christmas tree.
“This is brilliant,” I think.
“This is the one.”
Step two: The Excitement Phase
Now I’m fully invested.
I’m researching.
Planning.
Making notes.
Opening approximately fourteen browser tabs.
I’m convinced I’ve finally cracked the code to something amazing.
Step three: The Doubt Phase
And then… the little voice shows up.
“You know you already have twenty other ideas going, right?”
Suddenly the excitement gets tangled up with hesitation.
What if I start something and don’t finish it?
What if people think I’m all over the place?
What if this idea isn’t actually as good as it felt five minutes ago?
Step four: Repeat the Entire Process Tomorrow Morning
Because my brain will absolutely come up with another brilliant idea before breakfast.
The Part People Don’t Always See
From the outside, having lots of ideas probably looks fun.
And honestly, it is.
I wouldn’t trade my creative brain for anything.
But what people don’t always see is the other side of it.
The overwhelm.
The mental clutter.
The feeling that your brain is running about ten miles ahead of your ability to organize it all.
It’s like having a room full of puzzle pieces and knowing they could make something beautiful… but not being entirely sure which ones belong together.
Or where to start.
The List Maker in Me
One thing ADHD has definitely done is turn me into a chronic list maker.
I have lists for:
Ideas
Projects
Blog posts
Things I want to try
Things I should probably finish
Things I definitely forgot about
Some lists are in notebooks.
Some are on my phone.
Some are on random sticky notes that I will inevitably lose.
Occasionally I rediscover an old idea and think:
“Oh right… I was very excited about this for three days.”
Then I add it to another list.
Because clearly what this situation needs is one more list.
The Moment I Realized Something
For a long time I thought my constant stream of ideas meant I needed to narrow things down.
Be more practical.
Focus on just one thing.
Pick a lane.
And maybe that’s good advice for some people.
But the more I started paying attention to my creative brain, the more I realized something important.
The ideas weren’t the problem.
The problem was thinking I had to do all of them at once.
Creative people aren’t meant to have only one idea.
Our brains are wired to explore, experiment, and connect things.
The trick isn’t stopping the ideas.
The trick is learning how to capture them without letting them run the entire show.
Enter: The Idea Parking Lot
Lately I’ve started thinking of my brain like a busy parking lot.
Ideas drive in all day long.
Some stay for a while.
Some leave pretty quickly.
And some park themselves right in the middle of everything and refuse to move.
Instead of trying to chase every idea immediately, I’ve started giving them a place to park.
Write it down.
Save it.
Come back to it later.
That way the idea doesn’t disappear…
but it also doesn’t completely derail whatever I’m currently doing.
This tiny shift has made a huge difference.
How This Led to Daisies & Defiance
One of those parked ideas eventually turned into something I’m really excited about.
Daisies & Defiance.
And yes… I know.
You’ve heard me mention Daisies & Defiance before, and you’re probably thinking, “Okay… but where is it?”
Fair question.
I promise, it’s coming.
Apparently creating something meaningful takes a little longer when your brain has the attention span of a squirrel on espresso.
If I could just stay on track for more than five minutes without my brain going, “Ooh wait, new idea,” I’d probably be unstoppable.
And honestly, that little detour right there?
That’s exactly what I’m talking about.
Anyway, back to the point…
At first it was just a phrase that popped into my head.
Soft but strong.
Gentle but stubborn.
Kind of like the stage of life I feel like I’m in right now.
The more I thought about it, the more it felt like something bigger.
A reminder that you can be both things at once.
You can be warm and compassionate and still refuse to shrink.
You can grow quietly and still stand your ground.
And apparently my ADHD brain decided that idea was worth keeping.
Learning to Trust the Process
I’m starting to realize that creativity doesn’t always follow a straight path.
Sometimes ideas appear out of nowhere.
Sometimes they evolve slowly over time.
Sometimes the thing that looked like a random thought eventually turns into something meaningful.
But none of that happens if you shut down your curiosity completely.
So I’m learning to make peace with my slightly chaotic idea factory.
Yes, my brain might have 37 ideas before breakfast.
But maybe one of them turns into something wonderful.
Maybe another one turns into a blog post.
Maybe another one becomes a design.
And maybe the rest just make life a little more interesting.
The New Rule
Instead of trying to force my brain to be less creative, I’m making a new rule.
Ideas are welcome.
Chaos is manageable.
And progress doesn’t have to look perfectly organized.
If I create something meaningful along the way…
that’s enough.
So Now I’m Curious
If you’re someone whose brain also loves to generate ideas, I’d love to know:
Are you the kind of person who has one clear plan… or the kind who has 37 ideas before breakfast like me?
Because if you’re the second type, welcome.
We may be slightly chaotic.
But we’re rarely boring.
